Tokyo Gendai-Exciting New Choice!

Written by ART Driven Tokyo

The Second Edition Concluded with Solid Sales

Tokyo Gendai, held from July 5 to 7, 2024, concluded its second edition with solid sales. 69 galleries from 18 countries joined the fair, welcoming domestic and international visitors, collectors, and institutions from 40 countries and territories.

Tokyo Gendai was launched last year as a rare contemporary art fair of international standard in Tokyo. The fair is organized by The Art Assembly, an organizer of ART SG and Taipei DANGDAI, and with SMBC Group as the Principal Partner.

The most prestigious art fair in Tokyo is Art Fair Tokyo in March. With the addition of Tokyo Gendai, Tokyo has the potential to become the hub of contemporary art worldwide. The venue is PACIFICO Yokohama, an elegant waterfront place a short distance from central Tokyo with a slower pace of life.

Top-Flight International Artists and Selected Japanese Arts

There was plenty of room in the exhibition space, allowing visitors to view the exhibits at their leisure. Interesting installations took place at the venue. The Cowboy on the Grass – Yuichiro Tamura(KOTARO NUKAGA, Tokyo), the photo above, the composition is based on “The Luncheon on the Grass” by Edouard Manet. According to 2024 Highlights of Tokyo Gendai, at the heart of the work is the encounter and mixture of the mysterious being of paisley and human beings, and the restoration of life and soul through it. 

According to Tokyo Gendai, galleries saw strong sales across the fair sectors and at a variety of price points, from a few thousand US dollars up to USD 750,000, underscoring Tokyo Gendai’s mission to expand the market for contemporary art in Japan at every price point, to promote Japanese art to an international audience, and to bring top-flight international artists and galleries to Japan.

Quality Dialogue on Asian Aesthetics

The Art Talks held each day were worthwhile. ART Driven Tokyo has covered many prominent art fairs in the U.S. and Europe, but as far as talk shows go, we think Tokyo Gendai is one of the best.

The session Dialogue: Art & Architecture by Sou Fujimoto (Architect of Expo 2025 Osaka) and Takeo Obayashi (Charman of the Board of Obayashi Corporation, Top 200 Collectors of ARTnews) talked about the architectural beauty that comes from the interaction between constructor and artist.

The session Aesthetics and Politics of Asian Animation Art by Yuko Hasegawa (Director of 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa) and Lu Yang (Artist) spoke passionately about the great influence of Japanese animation on Asian artists.

In the session The Calder Effect by Marc Glimcher (CEO of Pace Gallery), Alexander S.C. Rower (President of Calder Foundation) and Mami Kataoka (Director of Mori Art Museum), through Calder’s art, they analyzed the depths of cultural exchange between Japan and the West.

Representing the Latest Themes in Contemporary Art

Perrotin Tokyo introduced the works of Senegalese artist Seyni Awa Camara, sculpture in the photo above. The artist showcases totemic creations that evoke bestiaries and maternity scenes.

Alison Jacques(London), the photo above, exhibited British artist Sophie Barber‘s works. Her new paintings call on symbols significant to Japan, while simultaneously referencing Western art historical narratives.⁠

Extensive VIP Program for Understanding Japanese Culture

The fair featured an extensive and enhanced VIP Programme celebrating contemporary art and Japanese culture. Tokyo Gendai’s opening party was held on 4 July at Yokohama Museum of Art, featuring a Kabuki dance performance by Ranshou Fujima and an exclusive preview of the museum’s new acquisition by Yusuke Asai, To the Forest of All Living Things, 2023.

A specially commissioned performance by ALVA NOTO (Carsten Nicolai) took place at TOKYO NODE HALL on Friday 5 July. This was his first performance in Japan since before the pandemic. The artist has strong associations with Japan, with his first performance in the country in 1998, having collaborated with leading contemporary Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (who passed away in 2022) on nine albums which resulted in a joint nomination for them both in 2017 for a Golden Globe and an Emmy for best soundtrack for The Revenant.

A major commission of an immersive installation titled ‘Touch on an Absence’ by the internationally acclaimed contemporary Japanese artist Tabaimo was on view at Warehouse TERRADA and an exclusive Gallery Night at TERRADA ART COMPLEX, one of Japan‘s most significant art complexes and home to numerous leading art galleries, took place on 6 July. Tokyo Gendai also offered international attendees the opportunity to explore the cultural scene outside of Tokyo with visits to Kiyoharu Art Colony, Pola Art Museum, Enoura Observatory, and a studio visit to Kazunori Hamana.

The Sparkle of Asian Genius

Tomio Koyama Gallery(Tokyo) presented Chinese artist based in Japan, Xu Ning‘s paintings. The artist expresses the beauty of nature and the fragility of life. Ning’s abstract, delicate, and unique world had attracted much attention in the show.

BLANKgallery (Shanghai, Tokyo) featured DAZHI‘s first overseas solo show. The artist focuses on exploring intimacy and relationships between the external and internal through painting. The new series of works combine contemporary queer experiences with Roman mythology, touching on topics around cultural symbols, fashion, and corporeality, presenting a series of works that bridge Eastern and Western cultures.

Sales Reports Shows Tokyo’s Strong Potential

Tokyo Gendai received reports on sales from participating galleries.

A Lighthouse called Kanata (Tokyo) sold six seminal works (two paintings and four sculptures) to important collectors in Japan, Taiwan, and the US in just the first two days of the fair, including Satoru Ozaki’s stainless steel work The Prince, 2024 (USD 150,000 ~ 200,000), which sold to a Taiwanese collector; Sundaram Tagore Gallery (New York) sold three works by Hiroshi Senju including two works titled Waterfall on Colors, 2024, which sold for USD 570,000 and USD 385,000 respectively, and Waterfall, 2024 selling for USD 385,000. Miya Ando’s Aotsuki (Blue Moon) Page 3 of 7 Triptych May 2 2024 7:47 PM NYC, 2024 also sold for USD 84,000; BLUM (Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo) sold a 2024 work on canvas by Kenjiro Okazaki for USD 160,000; MISAKO & ROSEN (Tokyo) sold a piece by painter Trevor Shimizu titled Water and Branches (2), 2024 for USD 85,000.

Some participating galleries boasted sell-out shows, including Pace Gallery (USA, UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan) which sold out of its solo booth of new drawings by Robert Longo, with almost every piece of work placed with a collector in Japan, and prices ranging from USD 90,000 – 750,000.

Tomio Koyama Gallery (Tokyo), which took part in the sector Hana ‘Flower’, also had a sell-out show which featured works by Beijing artist, Xu Ning. KOTARO NUKAGA (Tokyo) sold 12 works during the fair, including a large-scale work by Japanese visual artist Tomokazu Matsuyama titled Stain Gentle Words, 2024 to a collector.

The Show Returns in the Autumn of Next Year

Tokyo Gendai announces new autumn dates and will return to PACIFICO Yokohama from 12-14 September 2025, with a VIP Preview and Vernissage on 11 September 2025.

Judging by the enthusiasm of those involved in the effort to grow Tokyo’s contemporary art market, ART Driven Tokyo expects next year’s exhibition to be even more sophisticated and intelligent.